The Esports Foundation has unveiled the 16 countries and territories that earned direct invitations to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, with the Philippines leading the qualification rankings.
Set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to 29, the nation-based esports tournament will feature 32 national teams, with half of the field securing automatic qualification through the ENC Rankings.
Philippines headlines 16 directly invited nations
The ENC Rankings aggregate points earned by players based on their performances in international, regional, and selected tournaments, including the Mid Season Cup (MSC) at the Esports World Cup 2026.
The 16 countries and territories that secured direct invitations are the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Türkiye, Cambodia, Germany, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, Brazil, India, the United States, Canada, and Malaysia.
The Philippines tops the standings with 12,550 ranking points, finishing comfortably ahead of the rest of the field.
Philippine roster features MPL PH stars
Representing the Philippines are some of the biggest names in the country’s MLBB scene are KarlTzy, Jaypee, Sanji, FlapTzy, Super Marco, Kelra, and Kairi.
The lineup combines the core of Team Liquid Philippines—KarlTzy, Jaypee, and Sanji—with Team Falcons Philippines stars FlapTzy and Super Marco, and ONIC Esports’ Kelra and Kairi. The country will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing MSC at EWC 2026, where Team Liquid PH exited in the group stage despite entering the tournament as the defending champions, and Team Falcons PH ending in fourth.
Remaining 16 slots up for grabs
With the direct invitations finalized, attention now shifts to the online regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.
Additional ENC Finals slots will be awarded across multiple regions, with the top two teams from Western Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia, MENA, and Southeast Asia & Oceania qualifying alongside regional winners from North America, South America, East Asia, South Asia, Central & West Africa, and Southern & East Africa.
The final two places in the tournament will be allocated through a Host Region slot and a Solidarity slot, completing the 32-team field for the ENC Finals.
